Gervais never failed to attract controversy during his memorable stints hosting the Golden Globes from 2010-2012, and his subsequent returns in 2016 and 2020. His biting monologues spared nobody in Hollywood, and while the British comedian would love to host the Oscars, he believes that the Academy would never tolerate his brash approach to comedy. In an appearance on ABC’s “The View,” to promote the third and final season of his Netflix series “After Life,” Gervais explained why the looser style of the Golden Globes was a better fit for him, and why he would never tone down his material to a level that the Oscars would deem appropriate.
“But there’s the rub. You know, the great thing about the Globes was they said I could write my own jokes, say what I want, and not rehearse,” Gervais said. “And that is just too good for a comedian to turn down. I don’t think the Oscars ever would allow me that freedom. And rightly so! I think they’d be mad!” That said, Gervais would be eager to host the ceremony if the Academy allowed him to write his own jokes and promised not to censor any sensitive material. “If they said that, I’d definitely do it,” he said. “I’d do it for free if they said I could do that.” While the prospect of a completely uncensored Ricky Gervais hosting the show seems unlikely, little is known about potential candidates to host the 2022 Oscars. Rumors about Pete Davidson were quickly squashed, and Variety reported that producers may be looking to pair multiple A-list stars together as hosts. Multiple stars have publicly thrown their hats into the ring to be considered, and the Academy recently posted an open-ended Twitter thread soliciting feedback from fans on possible hosts. The 94th Academy Awards will take place on March 27. Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.
